Two Systems, Two Systems' Theories: A History of Systems Theory in the Two Germanys 1963-1971

With the appearance of the "New Economic System" in the DDR, the assent of new "cybernetic" systems of planning gained a new moment in Eastern Germany. Borrow in part from Russian models, these models gradually coalesced around engineering "systems theory." The parallel development of a Western model of systems theory, developed in part from the Rand coorporation and in part from the Business management, was similarly imported into Western Germany. Even as both models were rarely debated in their initial "home" countries, in Germany they caused a considerable uproar both in their initial technocratic implementation and in their political application. This paper will address why this was so within the technological application of systems theory in economics, military theory, and social planning.

Keywords: Systems Theory, Complexity

Stream: Knowledge and Technology

Presentation Type: Paper Presentation in English

Paper:
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Prof. Greg Moynahan

Assistant Professor of History and Science, Technology and Society, Social Studies Division, History DepartmentTivoli, NY, USA